Converse-flexoelectric movement of lipid-vesicle membranes characterized by differential confocal microscopy

Abstract

We use differential confocal microscopy (DCM) an open-loop nanometer-resolution far-field optical technique, to characterize the movement of lipid bilayers caused by converse flexoelectricity. For a bilayer membrane, the change of its curvature can induce unbalanced charge displacement and dipole orientation in the interfacial region. This effect is known as membrane flexoelectricity. Its reverse effect, i.e., membrane curvature change induced by externally applied voltage (converse flexoelectricity), has also been demonstrated in lipid bilayers and cell membranes.